Level indicator



J ly 1953 w. F. ARCHIBALD LEVEL INDICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 19. 1959 INVENTOR W\LL.\ A M F'- ARCH I BALD BY A RNEY July 28, 1953 Filed Dec. 19. 1950 W. F. ARCHIBALD' LEVEL INDICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WIL LIAM E ARCH/BALD ATTZRNEY Patented' July 28, 1953 LEVEL INDICATOR William ,F. Archibald, Johannesburg, Transvaal Union of South Africa,

assignor to The Distillers Company Limited, Edinburgh, Scotland,

, a British company Application December 19,"1950,'Serial No. 201,510

llnGreat Britain December 21, '1949 The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for indicating the level of solids in enclosed containers, such as hoppers.

In enclosed containers for solid materials, such as grain, coal and the like, it is very often desirable or necessary to .have an automatic indicator to show when the solidin the container reaches a certain level, for example when it is either full or empty.

Numerous devices of this nature have been developed in the past, and most of them have not proved completely'satisfactory for one reason or another. Thus, for example, in the production of acetylene, the calcium carbide is supplied to the reactor through hoppers positioned adjacent thereto. The operation of the usual type of level indicator requires some form of electrical apparatus adjacent to the hopper, which is undesirable for the reason that the presence of such electrical apparatus near the acetylene" generator and in the generator house may lead to serious explosion risks.

It is one-object of the present invention toprovide an indicator for solid levels in such -con-' tainers, wherein there need...be no electrical equipment immediately adjacent thereto.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the apparatus according to the present invention and Figure 2 is a cross section (not to scale) along the lines AA in Figure 1.

According to the present invention the apparatus for indicating the levels of solids comprises a rotatable member, resembling a paddle, positioned in the container for the solids, the shaft of said rotatable member being connected to a drivingshaft through a magnetic couplingsaid apparatus being provided with indicating and/or; controlling means actuated by the voltage generated at the magnetic coupling in response to the resistance offered tcrthe rotation of the rotatable member by the presence ofsolid material in the container at or above the level of said rotat able member.

The torque available to drive said rotatable member can be readily adjusted, from a remote position if desired, which once so "adjusted will remain constant, By, using suitable bearings,

preferably ball "bearings, and proper lubrication, the friction load at the rotatable member shaft can be reduced to a negligible value relative to the resistance offered by the material to be detected, and thus the device can be made very sensitive if so required. On the other hand, the torque applied to the magnetic coupling could be roams. (01. 340-246) increased to any value required to overcome any. friction in the system with any margin over this value considered to be necessar Referring to the drawing,

Figurel shows a hopper I adapted to contain solids such as particulate calcium carbide provided at its upper part with a paddle 2 carried by a shaft 3 contained within the hopper. This shaft leaves the hopper through a packed gland to ensure that gases cannot escape at the union. and uniform with a flexible shaft 4'of some length, which is connected through the flexible coupling 5 to the shaft 6. This shaft -6"is connected through the magnetic coupling '1 tea -.shaft 8 whichis mechanically driven by means not shown. The shafts 6 and 8 are held in the sleeves 9 supported on a rigid baseplate Ill. The shaft 6' carries a spider ll carrying internally six pole pieces I2, with the radial centre lines of adjacent pole pieces being at 60 to one another.

The shaft 8 carries externally two pole pieces 13 with their radial centre'lines at 180 to one another. The air gap between the pole pieces I 2 and I3 in the closest relative position is 0.005 I .inch. The advantage of employing a level indicator according to the present invention is that the transmission of torque to the shaft of therotatable member can be made conveniently from a" considerable distance, for example, either by ex tending said shaft in line with its axis or by introducing a flexible shaft element between saidshaftand the shaft'of the magnetic coupling; By these means the magnetic coupling, which requires the electric supply, can be placed at a considerable distance from the level indicator The rotatable'member" is most suitably in he form of a paddle.

In the operation of the device according to the present invention, when the level of solid in the containeris below the level of said rotatable member, it will thus be able to rotate in the normal way, and no voltage will be generated at the magnetic coupling. When the level of solid in the container rises to and'above the leve lof said rotatable member, the rotation of said member willbe resisted and finally prevented and consequently voltage will be generated at the .magnetic coupling, and the presence of material, at the level of said rotatable member can be indicated by employing the so generated voltage, suitably to actuate some signal or control device.

'One suitable form of magnetic coupling comprises the paddle shaft and the drive shaft mounted coaxially on a rigid bedplate; one shaft carrying externally two pole pieces with their radial centre lines at 180 to one another, and the other shaft, through a spider, carrying internally six pole pieces with the radial centre lines of adjacent polepieces being at 60 to oneianoth'er. The radial axeshf'all' pole"pieces"ar'e in the same plane and the dimensions of the pole pieces are such as to allow mechanical clearance between the two sets of pole pieces in all positionso The: mix

air gap between the two sets of pole pieces in the closest relative positioniri sui lfalcilr 'about 0.005 inch.

All the pole pieces are fitted-withfielifplckwp coils M in Figure 3 and the coils on the pole pieces attached to each shatt-are connectediinli series with each other, and the extreme coii ends of the set of pole pieces on each shaft are con: nected to sliprings attached to the shaftin"ques= tion. The set of sliprings on one shaft is connectedcto: ardirect current supply'. and the-set oi slipringssl ici'gurersibn thecthershait is-comnected to a detectingiicircuit lfi i1r'-rigure =3' re-* sponsive to alternatingi' voltagesr One -shait is mechanicallyconnectedto 'suitabledi i ving means ands the other snail: is? mechanically connected to thewotata'ble :memb'er inthesolidsfcontainerr The magneticifiemitdue to the'coils connected t'o rthe direct current supply induces magnetic polesfinftne pole piecesiorr whichthey are: wound andcthns induces-molester opposite polarity in the;v pole': pieccs attached? to the other shaft; When .=.the ishait i-toi'be attached ito thezrotatable member is: freesto turm the -attractiorlzbetween" the 'oppositeipoles 'causes it. to-r-follow the driven" snaftat the speed or the driven shaft, an'dTunder": those conditions the: magnetic :fiux" in "v the said: magnotiorcoupling-e is constant: and noivoltag' is: generated in: the :coils not connectedfto thezfl; supply. However," when the shaft connected: to: the rotatablemem-berr is unable" to. turns the change -otlmagnetic fiuxf as'the' moving iset"move'- towards and away from'the fixed set of poles causcs an altrnatingivoltage to beag'eneratedaiiir the coils, which can be simply picked up and used". for findicating; and/or oom-trolling gpunposes.

Thisi encratedwoltage canbe used as ii'n'licated" above, simply tooperata-a signal fronrswh'ichan operator willcarryout anynecessary actiom. such-'1 as'eitheifiU-ing :the-contai-Iler or emptyingi it, but more-suitablyr thei generated -voltage :is: used to stops on: start ithe motor employed for fill-ing =sa-id' container, or-alternativelm toopen-cor shut *1 the valvesconnectedtherewith;

A'- .suitable application oithevdeviceaccording? to=the present invention is :tcsindicate theilevelcof z calcium carbide in the hoppers used to supply: calcium carbide toaan acetylene-generator;

l. An apparatus suitable for indicating the level of "solids in a container which comprises a- Y rotatable memberflresembling a paddle; the-shaft: of" said rotatable member being connected through". a magnetic coupling. to a shaft adapted" tobe driven. said rotatable memberbeing? adapted? to be vpositioned in said container, and indicating, means adapted to be actuated-"bythe voltage generated J at the magnetic. i coupling in response to the resistanceofieredvto the rotation of the rotatable member by. thepresence ot-solid: material in the container;

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the shaft of said rotatable member is of a length such that the magnetic coupling may be placed at a distance from the rotatable member.

3. An apparatus as inclaim 1 wherein the apparatus issalso'suitabl forccontrolling the level of solids irrthe container," and suchcontrolling means are adapted to be actuated by the voltage generated at the magnetic coupling in response to-c-thewresistance offered to the rotation of the rotatable member by the presence of solid materiatiii th-e contamerf '4. Ahappa1 atussuitab1e for controlling the IEveIcfsoiids' irfatontainer which comprises a rotatable"memberfresembling a paddle, the shaft 05 said: rotatabiee member being connected throughiaemgg'netic coupling to a shaft adapted to be. driven, said rotatable member being adaptdtd be positioned in said container, and controlling means adapted to be actuated bythe mirage: generated at the ma netic essence 1 in response to the resistancc} offered: ti r shamanism of the rotatableimember by th'e presence ofsolid materiaii the comatrier.

5; An apcaratuslfor" indicating the lover? of solids in azcontainier W 'ich comprises a r otatable member-rrresembiing2 e-dale positioned in thc containeriiorithasclids; the-shaft or said rotata able member being connecteditoi ahdtivinqgsnail? throughaazmagnetic coupling-g said-'iapparatus being prot'ided'iwithaindicatin means z'ictuated 'by' thervclta ev enerated=fiat a themageetic couplihgr ina-responseztc tneresistance cfiered tc tne rotetionroi :tneerotatabieanember by the presenceot solimmateriar airrzthercontaineri at 'or above ths a leverof:saidrotatableanember.

6: .Apparatusfior 'indicatingrrthe'cle velvof' solidsi in. a: container which. comprises rotatable pad die li-kec member disposed irir said \container; an horizontal shaft for-1. rotating saidl paddi'e-like-= member extendinglaterallyr outwardly through said container, a driven.shartraligned' withiisaid first-shaftendemicchanicallyinmcomnectedctlieretower-magnetic couplingifor the "adjacent ends: or such shaits :adaptedzrtorgeherata :voltage' depend ent upon theire'sistanceito rotationfoiiisaidfirotat able paddle-like memberand'iirrdioatin'g'tmeans adapted! itcnbeuactuated's by: the voltagei generated art-theemagnetic couplingi 7. Apparatus ion-indicating ftl'fBflBVElbfl-SfllidS in a container in accordance:withzzolaim 6 in" which thf magnetic '7 coupling includesa spider omithc -i'emio of one a shaft falld havlfig invl'wli dis directeol-pole piecesand externallyarranged:pole pieces one the adj ec'ent: end-1o; i the otheri' shafiig v therebeingrani*airr'gap'bemeenathe-spider pcl'' pieces and the :shaft..-po1e. piecesiih iai-lr. relativepositionssthereoratorthe BXTBBIIF-Oflfiifi least nous-= inch.-

F? References ited'i in" the me' of this patent UNITED STATESLPA'IENTS- FOREIGN-PATENTS'i Number Country Dates 48611 751 Great rBritain -ne s Maysi'llly 1988 

